Improvement in barbed-wire fences



J no'BBs a B. F. BOOTH.

` BARBED WIRE-FENCE.

' No.171,104.. Patented 1386.111875.

INQTORS 'Y r Mm gf ATTORNEYS 1 fore attachment.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEr` JOHN DOBBS AND BENJAMIN F. BOOTH, OF VICTOR, IOWA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BARBD-WIRE FENCES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 171,104, dated December 14, 1875; application filed October 2, 1875.

To alt 'whom it may concern Be it known that we, JOHN DoBBs and BENJAMIN F. BOOTH, ofl Victor, in the county of Iowa and State of Iowa, have invented a newand valuable Improvement in Wire-Fence Barbs; and we do hereby declare that the following is a ful1, clear, and exact description of the construction and'operation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings making a part of this specication, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

Figurel of the drawings is arepresentation of a perspective Viewl of our Wire-fence barb attached, and Fig. 2 is a view of the same be- Fig. 3 is a plan view thereof, and Fig. 4: is a modification.

This invention has relation to improvements in wire-fence barbs which are designed to prevent cattle from rubbing against and upsetting a wire fence in common use on the prairies of the West; and it consists in a stapleshaped barb having two diverging spurs upon its back, whereby four goading-points will be supplied to the fence, when the said staple is set astraddle upon the wire and its two legs are bent around the wire past each other, whereby every possible approach to the wire is guarded, as will be hereinafter more fully explained and claimed.`

In the annexed drawings, the letter A represents a wrought-metal staple of suitable strength, the legs a of which terminate in points e', and are of any suitable length. This staple is provided upon its back with two diverging spurs, b b', which are also pointed,'and are designed to protect one side of the wire from being rubbed against by animals, in their efforts to rid themselves of vermin, and being broken.

Our improved barb may be secured upon the wire lw, either before or after it is set up, in the following manner, to wit: It is first set astraddle thereon, with its legs hanging down on. each side. These legs are then clamped upon the Wire, and are forcibly bent around it and across each other until they assume a position rather greater than a right angle in relation the one to the other. By this means four spurs are provided in each barb, and every point of the wire being' protected by one of the spurs it is rendered absolutely cattleproof.

As shown in Figs. 3 and 4 the spurs proper, b b', will prevent the animal from resting its head upon the wire and breaking it down, while one of the said spurs and of the goading-points a will prevent it from rubbing against the fence with a like result. The spurs a will in like manner deter cattle from putting their heads under the wire and breaking it by raising the head--a very common practice used by horned cattle in breaking through a post-and-rail or a worm rail fence.

Barbs b b, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, may be of straight or curved form.

We are aware that a barb for wire fences, made star-shaped and provided with an extension socket having a slit, has heretofore been employed, and we therefore lay no claim to such invention.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The staple-shaped barb A, provided with spurs b b and pointed legs a, adapted to be bent around a fence-wire, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that we claim the above we have hereunto subscribed our names in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN DOIBBS. B. F. BOOTH. Witnesses:

ALEX. MCADAM, R. O. BRoUeHToN. 

